Low Income Payment Plans

Beginning 7/1/18, agencies are required to offer a payment plan option for LOW-INCOME QUALIFYING (“INDIGENT”) persons that does all of the following:

Allows payment of unpaid parking fines to be paid off in monthly payments of no more than $25 a month for amounts due that are $300 or less.The City of Santa Cruz will set the minimum monthly payment at $25.No payment plan will exceed 18 months.

Waives all late fees and penalty assessments if an indigent person enrolls in the payment plan.Waived late fees and penalty assessments will be reinstated if the person falls out of compliance with the payment plan.

Limits the payment plan fee to $5 for indigent persons, which may be added to the payment plan amount at the discretion of the payee.The payment plan fee is $25 for those that do not qualify as indigent, and late fees/penalty assessments will not be waived.

Provides a one-time only option for an indigent person to enroll in a payment plan for tickets prior to 7/1/18 and/or for tickets after 7/1/18 where the 60 day requirement was not met, even tickets on hold at DMV, and have the hold rescinded and late fees waived.

Allows a one-time late payment of up to 45 calendar days from a payment plan due date. The payments must resume by the end of the 45 days.Waived late fees will be reinstated if the person falls out of compliance a second time, and the payment plan will be cancelled.

Requirements that must be met to qualify as indigent:

The indigent person must be the registered owner or lessee of the vehicle that received the tickets.

The person must apply for an indigent determination and payment plan with the Parking Office within 60 calendar days from the notice of parking violation or 10 days after the hearing determination, whichever is later.There is a one-time exception to this requirement as noted above.

Documents needed to make an indigent determination must be supplied at the time of application within the stated time frame.The first payment will be due at that time to begin the payment plan if granted.

A person is “indigent” if any of the following conditions are met:

The person meets the income criteria set in subdivision (b) of Section 68632 of the Government Code.Proof of income from a pay stub, bank statement, or other evidence presented must show that the person meets the income criteria.

The person receives public benefits from any of the programs listed in subdivision (a) of Section 68632 of the Government Code.Proof of receipt of benefits under the program/s described will be needed.

If a person’s indigent status is found to have been willfully fraudulent, their fine reductions will be overturned and the full amount of fines and fees will be restored.

Government Code 68632(a):

Permission to proceed without paying court fees and costs because of an applicant’s financial condition shall be granted initially to all of the following persons:

(a) An applicant who is receiving public benefits under one or more of the following programs:

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and State Supplementary Payment (SSP) (Article 5 (commencing with Section 12200) of Chapter 3 of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code).

(2) California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids Act (CalWORKs) (Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code) or a federal Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (Tribal TANF) grant program (Section 10553.25 of the Welfare and Institutions Code).

(3) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Chapter 51 (commencing with Section 2011) of Title 7 of the United States Code) or the California Food Assistance Program (Chapter 10.1 (commencing with Section 18930) of Part 6 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code).

(4) County Relief, General Relief (GR), or General Assistance (GA) (Part 5 (commencing with Section 17000) of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code).

(5) Cash Assistance Program for Aged, Blind, and Disabled Legal Immigrants (CAPI) (Chapter 10.3 (commencing with Section 18937) of Part 6 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code).

(6) In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) (Article 7 (commencing with Section 12300) of Chapter 3 of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code).

(7) Medi-Cal (Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 14000) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code).

Government Code 68632(b):

(b) An applicant whose monthly income is 125 percent or less of the current poverty guidelines updated periodically in the Federal Register by the United States Department of Health and Human Services under the authority of paragraph (2) of Section 9902 of Title 42 of the United States Code.

Please note: Per 22651.i and 22651.7, if your vehicle is impounded or booted due to 5 or more delinquent tickets, payment of all unpaid tickets is required to release the vehicle. Be sure to act and pay with a payment plan to prevent the car from being booted.